a change of heart
by mocha.squared
Summary: Nerissa attacks the guardians, extracting their souls, but Will's quick thinking saves them. the guardians are stuck in the wrong bodies having to master a differnent element and Irma must find the power inside her to control the heart.
1. A Change of Heart

_Chapter One_: Shell Cave

Shrouded in the thick darkness Will felt a familiar warmth in her right hand, she looked down to find the heart of Candracar hovering on her hand glowing with its luminesant pink light. At once four different colored droplets shot from the heart surrounding each guardian, while her own pink droplet shot from the heart engulfing her as well. Will shut her eyes as her own transformation began. She felt her muscles contorting and bending, transforming her into her stronger, faster, more mature guardian form. Will opened her eyes again seeing the complete darkness or Shell Cave with it's dank atmosphere, the musty smell of the sea.

"Everyone Here? Taranee could you give us some light-"

Before Will could finish her sentence the cave was filled with fireballs floating around the cave shrouding the guardians in bright light.

"I think her went this way." Yelled Hay Lin; pointing around the corner.

"Well duh, there's no other way, earth girl sealed off the entrance." Shot Irma glancing over at Cornelia.

"What?" shot back Cornelia, "Would you rather have Nerissa's evil unleashed upon Heatherfield and the World?"

"Maybe I do." Said Irma.

Cornelia gave Irma a nasty look.

"What?" said Irma, "She's only after us."

"But who knows what measures could take in order to get what she wants, even put the one's we love in danger." Said Cornelia; her temper rising.

"Well remember to bring a flashlight next time." Said Irma; smirking at Cornelia.

"HELLO?" said Hay Lin; hovering between the two guardians, "Hey, evil guardian, trying to steal the heart, might want to follow her you know? It's kind of our job?"

"Oh yeah." Said Irma; looking embarrassed, "forgot."

Hay Lin rolled eyes and flew around the corner Irma right her and Taranee and herself right behind. Her feet pounded against the cave floor while her heart pounded in her chest. _What am I going to do? _Thought Will, _She's an Ancient Evil guardian with all the powers of the elements, killed one of her fellow guardians and to top it all off she wants the heart which I have. I have no idea how any of us are going to beat her. _Will slowed down gasping for breath even though they had not been running for that long, her feet felt like they were made of lead. _She's after me, she's after the heart, we have no idea how to stop her, and no one has told us anything that could help. It's all our responsibility now, couldn't someone give us some pointers or something? _For the first time being a guardian, for the first time ever Will was truly afraid. _Why? _Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a scream which echoed off walls the cave making it even louder. Will realized she was at least 100 feet away from her friends and they had all ready turned a corner and out of sight. Will ran forward as fast as she could scrambling over boulders and across the small streams that ran thought the cave finally Will reached her friend frozen looking at the ground. Will pushed though the find Hay Lin lying on the floor limp and pale so pale she seemed silver.

"What Happened?" said Will; her voice quivering.

She dropped to her knees placing her hand over Hay Lin's heart, she was cold, there was no heartbeat, Will's eyes filled with tears.

"Don't worry Will," said a raspy voice that sent a chill down Will's already shaking body, "She's not dead, well if she had a soul-"

"W-what did you do to HER?" said Will as her sadness quickly turned to anger. She looked up to find Nerissa standing a few feet away. Her stringy white hair fell nearly to her waist and her brown crusty skin straining to form her thin pursed lips into a wide smile. Will was burning with rage.

"I SAID WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?" Will yelled.

"Simple child I have extracted her soul." Hissed Nerissa

Will opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out.

"Don't bother to ask, here is her soul." Smirked Nerrisa; holding out a glass jar with a cork in it. Inside the jar was a tiny silverish blur bouncing back and forth against the sides of the jar, desperate to get out, "and if you try and fight me I will be forced to extract you and your friends souls and take the heart of Candracar from you myself."

"Stop it!" yelled will charging at Nerissa.

But with a simple wave of her hand a silver wisp shot from Nerissa's hand knocking Will backwards and onto the floor. Irma, Taranee and Cornelia who had clearly been holding in their own anger got ready to attack. Cornelia threw her hands to the cave floor green light flowing from her fingers, as the cave shook and spikes shot out from all sides off the wall straight at Nerissa. But Nerissa simply raised her hand up and the spikes stopped immediately, then something else happened, a blackish sort of electricity shot through her hand passing through the spikes following the wall and heading right towards Cornelia, the black energy converged on Cornelia as if following the path her own powers had took. There was another scream, the black energy had hit Cornelia and she fell to the floor turning a livid green, and a droplet of green (which was clearly Cornelia's soul) flew out of Cornelia and right towards Nerissa who caught it in between her two fingers and put Cornelia's soul into the glass jar along with Hay Lin's. Will could not move, everything was too much to take in how could she attack Nerissa? If she did her soul would be extracted and the heart would be Nerissa's and the world was doomed. Meanwhile it was Taranee's turn to attack, hands flaming and eyes flaming just as much, she put out her hands which rapidly shot fireballs at Nerissa and Irma gathered up some of the water from the stream and thrust it towards Nerissa's face trapping her head in a ball of water so she couldn't breath, _good thinking _thought Will, _this might actually work! _Until all three of the remaining guardians realized Nerissa was laughing! Taranee's fireballs were bouncing right off her and Irma's ball of water was having no effect.

"Silly girls I have control of all four elements, do you really think you can beat me?"

"Yes!" yelled Taranee; who was suddenly running at Nerissa, hands flaming

"Taranee, No!" Will screamed.

It was too late, Nerissa grabbed Taranee's hand sending her black energy through Taranee whose soul shot from her and was in the jar before she hit the floor, turning a dull orange.

"Will, Will, Will." Hissed Nerissa, "You don't want to continue three of your friends are gone, and you're too afraid to attack me, give me the heart and your little friend won't have to suffer the agony of having their very soul ripped from them."

"Come on Will." Said Irma reaching out her hand to help Will up, "Let's take this old hag down."

A small smile formed on Will's face and a bit of hope came with it as well

"Let's get her." Said Will; taking Irma's hand.

_We can do this._

With that Irma gathered up some more water making move back and forth like a snake, she reached her hand out sending the water snake right at Nerissa which constricted her so both her arms and legs were bound. _Now's my chance _thought Will and sent a burst of pink energy right at Nerissa,

"Take that you beast!" yelled Will. As the power of the heart made impact sending off smoke

"I think we got her." Said Irma; reaching her hand out for a high-five.

"Look out!" yelled Will; a burst of black energy shot though the smoke heading right towards Irma! The shot had missed her by an inch.

"Ha!" said Irma

"Wait, Irma! Don't talk, she can tell where you are by your voice-"

It was too late once again a second burst or Nerissa's black energy shot though smoke hitting Irma square in the face. Irma fell to the ground turning a light blue as her soul left her, Will was the last guardian.

The smoke had cleared and Will had a clear view of Nerissa, and the four soulless bodies of her friends and the their own souls floating in the jar which Nerissa had clutched in her hand. _Oh no! what am I going to do it won't be long until she gets me too and then it's all over, the power off five, Candracar, the world. No. there's got to be a way. The souls, if they were free then they would go back to our bodies I just gotta.. _

Out of nowhere Nerissa shot another soul stealing blast of energy which hit Will, Will felt herself leaving her body, she felt like she was being ripped apart from the inside out _One chance _Will held out her hand to send a blast of her own energy at Nerissa. Will could feel the energy building in her palm, but then, darkness.

_Questions:_

_Is this the end?_

_No._

_If Nerissa has Control over the four elements how can she steal people's souls?_

_She's evil, of course she can steal souls_

_Who is Nerrisa?_

_She's the new villain in the w.i.t.c.h. book series, (see book #16 the path of revenge) she wants the heart and she was once a guardian who abused the hearts power and betrayed her fellow guardians one of which was Yan Lin (Hay Lin's grandmother) the others defeated her but Nerissa ended up killed one of the guardians who was Yan Lin's best friend, now she been awakened (it's a really long reason why but lets just stick with the fact she's been awakened.) now she wants the heart back. _


	2. Mistakes of the Past

_Chapter 2: Mistakes of the Past_

Yan Lin rushed down the ivory halls of Candracar, she had sensed something had happened to the guardians, the Aurameres that usually floated peacefully in the Aura Hall, were not, all of the Aurameres had disappeared, first her own granddaughter's silver-gray droplet began to shake violently then, there was a small pop and Hay Lin's Auramere was gone. Yan Lin could only watch in horror as Cornelia's, Taranee's, Irma's and even Will's Auramere disappeared. The Aurameres were connected to the girls, and their friendship once before something like this had happened, after the veil was lifted by the Oracle and the true queen and, the guardian's friend, Elyon took control over her evil brother, Phobos. Even though all this was happening the girls were arguing, Cornelia had lost Caleb, once a murmerer who worked for Phobos but had realized the darkness Phobos had brought upon Meriden and escaped to lead the resistance against him, the one whom she believed to be the love of her life, had been turned into a murmerer's lowest form, a flower, which Cornelia spent all of her time tending to. Meanwhile Will, the Keeper of the heart was being forced to move away in a few short months and all the girls could do was argue, soon their powers were very weak, but when Luba fused the powers of all the guardians but Cornelia into a shape-shifting Altermere which Cornelia accidentally absorbed, and had set out to bring her Caleb back to life with her new-found strength. But Luba had interfered once again and Caleb was turned into Phobos' servant and had almost stayed that way until Cornelia's true love, and the last of her power had brought him back to normal. As for the other guardians their friendship began to rekindle as in that becoming more powerful and the guardians set off for Candracar, in time the girls powers were restored, Caleb was brought back to life, but Candracar had suffered it's own losses, Luba the original Keeper of the Aurameres disappeared, still not having faith in the guardians. But Luba's mistakes were not forgotten when the guardians when the elements and the heart abandoned the guardian Nerissa had awakened, and old foe, more powerful and more evil than anything the guardians had even faced was now after them, now after the heart.

As both a member of the council and a former guardian Yan Lin had been given an important job, Keeper of the Aurameres, who's duty was to watch over the guardians powers, to see if their friendship was as strong. But nothing like this had happened, this was nothing she had even heard of, she had to tell the Oracle. She turned the corner into a large ivory room with high ceilings and carvings of people, and things of ancient times. There was the Oracle, Meditating over a pond filled with lilys, the scene was so pure Yan Lin felt her troubles lift away, but now was no time to forget her troubles,

"Oracle, The Auramere's-"

"Yes Yan Lin." Said The Oracle in a calm voice. "They were gone. For a moment I senced it to, there was no trace of Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia or Hay Lin. This was Nerissia's doing."

Yan Lin gasped.

"There was a great disturbance, but not as great as you think, Yan Lin, Let us go to the Aura Hall and I will show you."

As the Oracle and she waked down the to the Aura Hall Yan Lin could not help wondering why the Oracle was not worried, "_the Aura Hall is Empty. That has never happened in the history of Candracar, I never knew it was possible, the Oracle is all-knowing, but I am not so sure about this-" _

"Do not doubt me Yan Lin, you shall soon see my way of thinking, you shall soon see what has happened."

"I-I am sorry Oracle, I was just worried for the guardians, they are very close to me and I care for them very much, I worry about the slightest changes in the Aurameres, Oracle." Tears filling her eyes.

"It is okay Yan Lin- whispered the Oracle.

"I'M SORRY!" sobbed Yan Lin wrapping her hands around the Oracle, putting him in a deep embrace.

"Yan Lin, I am not angry." Said the Oracle; in turn putting his arms around her, "You care very dearly for these guardians and I am glad that you do."

"Thank you." Said Yan Lin Trying to hold her tears back "I just do not want the past to repeat itself, I don't want another guardian, another friend… d-dead"

"The guardians are strong we will make sure that, no one will perish like Cassidy did that day."

Yan Lin released from the Oracle's warm embrace, feeling relieved and ready to face what had happened to the guardians.

"Come." Whispered the Oracle, "We are here."

As the two entered Aura Hall and Yan Lin was surprised to see the Auramere's floating around as they always did.

"W-what."

"I am sorry to keep you wait Yan Lin, I will explain."

Yan Lin was both happy and scared of this phnomina. Happy that the Aurameres were back to there normal place but scared that something had changed. Reguardless she listened to the Oracle's tale.

"Nerissa, who had come to Heatherfield to track the girls down and take the Heart of Candracar from it's current resident, Will. She lured them into Shell Cave where she ambushed the guardians and attacked Hay Lin, extactracting her soul."

Then the scene apeered as in front of Yan Lin in a misty haze she say her granddaughter fall to the ground she held back her tears as the Oracle continued.

"One by one each of the guardians fell until there was only Will."

Yan Lin could only watch in horror as she saw each of the guardians fall.

"Nerissa gave Will a chance to give up but she refused ,"

And Yan Lin watched the Keeper if the Heart's soul being ripped from her.

"But Will sumounded up one last bit of strength,"

Yan Lin saw Will shoot a blast of pink energy at Nerissa and knock the glass bottle that held the guardians souls break and Nerissa run of deaper into the cave as the souls shot back into their bodies.

"But I'm Afraid Yan Lin that not all is well." Said the Oracle, "When Souls are extracted they are sucked into the nearest empty body they can find. That means that the wrong souls are in the wrong bodies now."

"But the girls are ok, Oracle."

"Yes Yan Lin but each guardian is now stuck in the wrong body and now much control a completely different element. Strong, grounded Cornelia must learn to let go and become as free as Air , for that is the element and the body which she posseses, Hay Lin's. As for Your Hay Lin she in turn must take on Cornelia's element and master a very different element. As for Taranee she now must control her own opposite, water, As for her original fire element it will now belong to Will."

"Wait," gasped Yan Lin, "that means…"

"Yes The heart the Candracar has a new owner, She will have to find the leader inside herself and she will carry the problems of all the guardians on her shoulders and she will have to face challenges she isn't ready for, for the Heart of Candracar now belongs to Imra."


	3. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

_Chapter 3: _Mirror, Mirror

As the sun began to rise on Heatherfield, shrouding all its inhabitants in its golden glow. The very same sunlight had come thought the window, awakening Irma Lair from a peaceful sleep, yet the sun was unaware that it had begun a nightmare for her.

Irma sat up in bed yawning and rubbing her eyes,

"Nerissa, everything was it a dream? Eh, who cares I'm going back to bed-"

Irma looked down at her purple bedspread,

"Wait! I don't have a purple bedspread, mine's pink."

And that wasn't the only difference,

"Where's my Karmilla posters?" said Irma; looking up above her bed where her posters of Karmilla and various other bands usually were. Also when were my walls white? Leafy have we been some victim of some overnight home makeover show? Leafy?"

Irma looked around the room; there was no sign of Irma's pet turtle.

"Wait a minute this isn't my bed, this isn't even my room!" said Irma now getting frantic.

"Since when did I get this mirror-" Irma stared wide eyed into the full length mirror, this wasn't her room and she wasn't herself.

Instead of Irma starring back at her she saw another girl, she wore black tennis shoes and loose blue jeans, and this girl also wore an orange and red shirt which seriously clashed with her red mop-like hair. Instead of Irma's blue eye's staring back at her it was Will's brown ones!

"W-wait a minute." Stammered Irma, "I-I'm Will?"

Irma let out a scream and fell backwards onto Will's bed. Irma closed her eyes expecting it to go away, _it's just a dream, it's just a dream…_Irma thought to herself. But, when she opened her eyes she found herself looking right into were two big black ones.

"Eep!" shrieked Irma jumping off of Will's bed as her dormouse sniffed around in the air.

"Phew.." said Irma, "just Will's dormouse, or my dormouse I should say."

Irma smiled to herself, to entire concept of being Will was a bit amusing, regardless of the fact she very well might be stuck like this forever. Irma's thoughts were sharply interrupted by Will's Mom

"Will are you up? You're going to be late again!"

_Oh no! _Thought Irma, _school, got to think what am I going to do? Think Irma you idiot, think!_

"Will!" shrieked Will's mom.

_I better get dressed _Irma thought to herself.

She quickly rummaged through Will's drawers only stopping to wonder why Will had pink ruffled underwear,

_I don't want to know how she got these _thought Irma; tossing the undies across the room.

Irma eventually found another pair of blue jeans and tennis shoes.

"Gosh!" yelled Irma; desperately trying to keep her pants from falling down, "Doesn't Will have any hips? I guess not" sighed Irma; noticing a pile of belts on the floor of her closet.

Irma quickly grabbed a white tank top with a frog on and slipped over her head.

"Ha this is so totally Will." Laughed Irma buttoning up a pink and yellow collared shirt she had found under Will's bed.

Irma tied her hair up in a ponytail and ran down the hall into Will's kitchen. Will's mother was on the phone talking to one of her co-worker probably about some business deal and there was a croissant sitting on the table

_Yum_ thought Irma and took a bite out of the croissant and walked over to the door when Will's mom stopped her.

"Will, I need to talk to you."

"ummmf." Muttered Irma with a mouthful of croissant.

"You need to be more on schedule Will look at the time it's seven-fifty already."

Irma just nodded she couldn't say anything if she wanted to she was still stuffing her face with croissant.

"Now I'm going out with Mr. Collins so I want-"

"Wait!" said Irma who had just finished her croissant, "it's seven-fifty? I have to go!." _I got to tell the rest of the group about this before school, plus I don't know Will's class schedule!_

"Bye Mrs. Vandom, I mean Mom!" and Irma hurried out the door forgetting about what Will's Mom was about to say.

After a great deal of searching the yard Irma finally found Will's bike behind 'her mom's' car. Irma had been to Will's house before so she was pretty sure where she was going. Irma pedaled off down the sidewalk huffing and puffing, _My parents usually drive me to school and for that I'm now thankful. Also I'm thankful for the car's heater. _

After a few blocks Irma was shivering and lost. She rode up and down the streets but to no avail, she had no idea where she was, _I'm also thankful my dad knows where to go!_

"Will." Yelled a voice from across the street; a boy with shaggy brown hair and baggy clothes was walking towards her,

"Matt?"


End file.
